Gum Slough

Nothing better than getting out of bed before 4 am,  getting the kayak on the car and driving 81 miles to beat the heat on a spring fed waterway.  This was just my third visit to Gum Slough, pronouced "slew".  I need to go here more often.  When water levels are a bit higher.  I'll get to that later.

Gum Slough is in Citrus County, on the outskirts of Inverness, the county seat.  There is a public ramp on the end of Turner Camp Road.  On the Withlacoochee River.   I was on the Witlacoochee withmykayak at 6:30.
"Withlacoochee Withmykayak" was the subject line of my first kayaking report as a kayak owner, on March 19, 2005

Sun not completely risen, so dark photos to start the day.





 If it weren't for the air boats that ply the Withlacoochee, this would be a perfect campsite.  Across from the entrance to Gum Slough.

Entering Gum Slough. 6:57, 26 minutes after launch. Twenty five minutes later, temporarily stuck on a log, I took a drink, and saw a deer on my left.

When the deer began to walk away, I saw it was not one deer, but two.  Mother was sheltering her child.  Not a fawn, but about 2/3 of the size of the one in the photos.

Gum Slough starts out narrow, and tree lined.  Lots of those trees fall into the water. If the water level were an inch higher, I thought, it would have been perfect.  I had to push over a lot of dead fall.  And duck under some more.  There is one home on the way up, on the left side.  After that, the Slough widens into a marsh like area.

More birds are visible in this area. Saw two alligators, also.

 My camera wasn't fogging up.  Sun, heat and humidity made an interesting haze.  On the drive in, I had to use my windshield wipers, although it was not raining.

"One to beam up"

 I have read that seven springs feed Gum Slough.  Two are near the start of the Slough, with two houses overlooking them.  A third is up a short run, off the run that goes to the cove where the houses are.  I've seen one a bit downstream.  Today, I saw two.

A fellow kayak enthusiast recently paddled Gum Slough, and had a photo of her in one of these two springs.  I was trying to figure out where she got in.  I tested the bottom near the first one, my paddle went down pretty far.   If I stepped in, I'd sink in the muck.  I paddled on, saw the second spring, not to far from the first.  An area of the bank had been cleared.  This would be a good place to stop on the way back.  After snorkeling the spring at the very head of the Slough.

 At the start of this Tale, I mentioned low water levels.  It was mainly a nuisance for the first couple hours, getting stuck on the occasional log, but now it became a pain.  In my arms as I took apart the paddled and pushed instead of paddling. Scrapping the bottom on the limestone bottom.  I did not remember having to do this on my 2 previous paddles.  Also don't recall so much exposed limestone.

Here is one of the homes at the two springs.  Found an interesting article about the owners.  They had a Conservation easement  drafted, "legally preserving Gum Slough’s headwaters in perpetuity."  I like that. And, the article states there are 15 springs, not just 7.

 Below is the run that leads to the spring I have swum in.  I paddled to it my two previous visits.

 Today, I had to walk.  I did not walk all the way to the spring. Did not want to trespass any more than I already had. When I swam, I anchored, stepped out in the water, not touching the shore

Like I said, Gum Slough is low.  In late July, when it should be high.  I began the down Slough paddle at 9:40

I can't complain about the limestone.  Without it, there would not be any springs.   Like this one.

Which I was thinking was a third down stream spring.  I thought that because I had not noticed the area near the other spring where I was going to land. Because I had been looking into the spring when I paddled past it.   This is probably the first spring I saw on the way up Slough.  On the other hand, that spring had a white post with a blue ribbon on it.  I looked, but  did not see it near this spring.  Anyway, I did not get into the water.

A foliage interlude.

Gum Slough has braids and side channels. On my previous visits, I took unintended detours.  Almost did again today. At the end of the open section, I heard voices.  There was a split in the channel, as they were coming on my right, I thought I'd go left.  I did, and heard "hisst".  Not a snake, an otter. I watched it for awhile, as the armada came up the other side.  After seeing one boat on two visits, 5 kayaks is an armada.  As they all came through on the right, I figured that was the way to go.

I again heard the hiss/snort of an otter.  This time I have photos.

This otter also made a low humming sound.  Like a motor.  Probably figured that would piss me off.

 Return to the Withlacoochee, 1:00 pm.

 

 Gulp.

The beautiful day was tarnished by the noise and stink of 5 air boats on the With.  I landed at

1:15.

Despite the air boats, the Withlacoochee and Gum Slough are protected from further development, not just because of the conservation easement reference above, but the east side of the River and Gum Slough are in the Half Moon-Gum Slough Preserve and the west bank is part of Potts Preserve .  Potts is where the river front camping is.  There is also a hiking trail, which I biked.

The only cars allowed in the Preserve are those going to the camp sites.  This is the road in.

I went less than two miles. Out.  Not interested in a non-shaded ride on a July afternoon.

I saw several barred owls, and heard more during the paddle.  Got no pictures. Go off the bike to take these. The same owl.
One last view of the Withlacoochee.

Or two, from a pier with a water monitoring station at the end of it.  Just past the campsites.  One which was occupied. A single tent, 4 or 5 cars with kayak racks.  Likely the kayakers I saw.   Not the best camping weather, and a lot of people for one tent.  I wonder if the made a "dummy" reservation so they could launch from the Preserve.   I know, I'm an suspicious SOB. But, its a great idea.

Preserve entrance.

The green sign reads, in part "Still Hunt Area"  What's that, looking for moonshiners?
As mentioned, I biked on a hiking trail.   In some places, this is not allowed, but I did not see anything saying it was prohibited.  However, the Preserve Map showed a combined hiking biking equestrian trail.  Accessible at a different entrance.  I drove to investigate.   Saw three deer on the way.
Parked at the trail entrance and walked in a bit.

When I see horse trail, I think oh-oh.  They are often on loose soil and biking is terrible.  If this trail is hardpacked on the way it would be great. I'll let you know after some rain an my next visit to Gum Slough.

Old Citrus County Courthouse, Inverness, Florida.   I like old courthouses.  They have a sense of importance.